Deep-well boring and coring apparatus



Nov. 22, 1927. 1,649,857

c. E. REED DEEP WELL BORING AND GORING APP ARATUS Original Fild May 12, 1926 2. I 5? i W 2 25 f F i .2 i 6 8 43 7 19 25 14 22 22 40 m 9 INVENTOR. CZ'Beec* A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. REED, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

DEEP-WELL BORINGAND CORIN G APPARATUS.

Application filed May 12, 1926, Serial The invention relates to core bits for deep well drilling, in which rotary toothed cutters are located at the bottom of the drill bit to cut the bottom of the hole and to leave a central core of the formation, which core is received by a core tube and when the apparatus is removed from the well, the core is gripped and retained in the core tube to be withdrawn with the apparatus from the well.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a bit head embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1 with parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sect-ion in a plane a quarter turn from Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is avertical section of the center piece taken in the same plane as shown in Fig. 3. r

In these drawings 1 is the bit'head, hav ing a core receiving tube 2 seated therein at 3 with an annular space 4 between it and the wall of the head for flushing fluid which finds access to the cutters through any suitable ports, an example of which is shown at 5. I

The interior diameter of the core tube is preferably the same as. that of the bore of the head at 6. Any suitable form of grip 0r trap may be employed in the bore to engage the core of the formation and retain it in the core tube when the apparatus is withdrawn from the well, but as such device is common and does not enter into the novel features of this invention, it is not shown herein.

The cutter mechanism for cutting the formation at the bottom of the well and for leaving a core standing at the axial center of the well includes external toothed cutters 7 and 8 mounted to rot-ate on bushings 9, 10 which are screw threaded onto bosses 11, projecting laterally from the downwardly extending walls 13, 14 of the head. These walls are at different distances from the axial center of the head, so that they will not track, that is to say, they will not describe the same circular ath asthe head is r0- tated about its vertical axis. The roller cutters are disposed so that an annular path will be cut and provision made for compen- No. 108,674. Renewed October a, 1927.

sating for the wobble or oscillation of the bit head at the bottom of the hole. For this purpose, besides the external cutters above mentioned, other cutters are employed, shown at 15, 16. These cutters are mounted to rotate on bosses 17 18 of a center block 1%), which has a bore 20 coresponding in diameter to the bore of the head. This block has its bosses arranged to bear in the walls 13 and 14', for which purpose the inner faces of these walls are provided with seat recesses 21 having shoulders 22 at their upper ends against which the ends of the bosses 17, 18 abut to sustain the thrust. This center piece is of a shape, as shown in Fig. 2, to substantially fit therecess in the bottom of the drill head, and by bearing on the walls of said recess, said center piece is held against turning. I

This center piece is held in place by pins 23 which extend through openings in the bosses 11 of the head and into recesses or sockets 24 in the bosses 17 18 of the center block. The bushings 9, 10 hold these pins in p ace.

The center piece not only provides the bearings for the cutters 15, 16and an extension of the bore for receiving the core left standing at-the axial center of the apparatus, but it spaces the rotary cutters 15, 16 apart a greater distance than the diameter of the bore, and thus compensation is provided for the wobbling or oscillation of the bit, or its irregularrmovement in respect to its axis at the bottom of the hole.

It is common practice in rotary wells of three thousand to four thousand feet depthand ten inches or eleven inches in diameter, to use a hollow pipe drill stem, of either five inches or six inches in diameter, and experience has shown that in deep wells in socalled hard earth formation, the heretofore known core bits have suflicient lateral movement, due to the great depth and the flexibility of the drill stem, to wobble in the hole they make enough to reduce the diameter of the core if any, left standing, so much that core 1i ing devices will not recover the core. In eleven inch cutting diameter bits, not infrequently the core is reduced three-fourths of aninch by bits whose inner cutting edges" are spaced a art on a diameter of three to three an one-half inches. 110

With my im rovement, as aboveset forth, there is provi ed a margin of safety in the cutting action to prevent the. core from being reduced beyondsuch diameter as will render the gripping means incapable of retaining the core within the core tube.

In addition to the cutters above described, the bit head is equipped with side roller cutters 25. These cut the cleararice between the recesses 21 are openat'their lower endsso that the bosses 17, 18 can slip upwardly inthese recesses until they abut against the shoulders 22. Then the pins 23 are inserted and the bushings are screwed'into place, said .bushings previously having had the roller.

cutters 7, 8 mounted thereon.

I claim 1 1. In combination in a deep well boring and coring apparatus, a drill head having a bore to receive a core of the formation being cut, said head having walls extending down from its lower face, rotary .cutters j ournalled outside said walls, a center piece between said walls having a bore forminga continuation of the bore of the head, and having bearings on its outer sides, roller cutters on said bearings spaced thereby away from the edge of the bore and means for holding the said center piece in'place.

2. In combination in a deep well boring and coring apparatus, having a central bore -to receive the core of formation left standing at the center of the bore of the hole, rotary cutters, a center piece having a bore corresponding to the bore of the head, said center piece affordin bearings for the cutters and spacing sai cutters away from the edge of the bore, and means for holding said center piece in place.

3. In combination in a deep well boring and coring apparatus, having a central bore to receive the core of formation left standing at the bottom of the hole, said head having walls depending therefrom, a center piece between said walls having a bore corresponding to the bore in the head and having bosses on its outer side,.rotary toothed cutters mounted on said bosses and pins extending through the depending walls into said bosses to hold the same in place, substantially as described.

4. In combination in a deep well drilling apparatus, a bit head having a bore to receive a core of formation and having a recess in its lower face, a center piece arranged insaid recess having a bore forming a continuation of the bore of the head, said center piece bearing on the' walls of the recess {to be held against turning thereby, roller cutters mounted on said center piece and between the same and the wall of the recess and means for holding the center piece withinvthe recess, substantially as described.

5. In combination with deep well drilling apparatus, a bit head having a bore to receive a core of formation and havinga re-,

cess in its lower face, a center piece arranged in said recess having a. bore forming a continuation of the bore of the head, said cen ter piece bearing on the walls of the recess to be held against turning thereby, roller cutters mounted on said center piece and between the same and the wall of the rev cess and means for holding the center piece within the recess, said means consisting of pins passing through the walls of the recess, bosses on the exterior of said walls, bushings on said bosses holding the pins in position, and roller cutters mounted on said bushings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CLARENCE E. REED. 

